ISC Daily News Summary

Ofqual has revealed that GCSE and A-level exams will be marked leniently next year, with pupils given advance notice of which topics to study. By Phoebe Southworth, The Telegraph.

The Government has announced that GCSE and A-level grades will return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023, following two years of grade inflation. By Hannah Richardson, BBC News.

The Independent summarises the changes being made to next year's exams to "maximise fairness". By Zoe Tidman.

Fiona Robertson, chief executive of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, has said students in areas hardest hit by coronavirus disruption will still have to sit exams next year if it is decided at a national level that they should go ahead. By Emma Seith, Tes.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), has warned of "significant levels of disruption" in schools, with as many as one in 10 teachers absent due to COVID-19 in some areas. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have said the benefits of giving children two doses of a COVID vaccine outweigh the risks, and could prevent thousands of long COVID cases. By Katie Gibbons, The Times.

A coalition of charities and royal colleges has called for drop-in mental health centres for children, after research found that one in six children aged five to 16 has a diagnosable mental health problem - up from one in nine before the pandemic. By Laura Donnelly, The Telegraph.

Geoff Barton, the general secretary of ASCL, has demanded a meeting with Nadhim Zahawi "as soon as possible", warning that the fuel crisis has left some schools on the brink of being unable to transport, feed and teach their pupils. By Bill Gardner, The Telegraph.

ITV News explores the impact of the disruption on schools in Oxfordshire, with many experiencing staff shortages. The article quotes Sarah Ballard, head of HR at Radley College.

Tes outlines six Labour proposals for education reform, after the Party made a series of pledges at its 2021 conference. By Amy Gibbons.

Will Hazell writes in iNews reflecting on Sir Keir Starmer's conference speech, arguing it "signalled a turning away from the education policy of the Corbyn years".

The National Education Union and the National Association of Head Teachers have called on the prime minister to "keep his promise" on education funding in the upcoming spending review. By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

According to a report by the consultancy Forum Strategy, 69 per cent of academy trust chief executives feel that school leadership teams should reflect the diversity of their communities. By Catherine Lough, Tes.